Machine for producing construction units of hydraulically setting material



Jan. 18, 1955 c s ss ETAL 2,699,590

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING CONSTRUCTION UNITS OF HYDRAULICALLY SETTINGMATERIAL 7 Shuts-Sheet 1 Filed April 2, 1951 JNVENTORSL, 20191257 67'.Fasp S 2/ cyz aa/a arc/ CMJZ01ZQ Jan. "18, 1955 F. c. RESPESS ETAL 2,

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING CONSTRUCTION UNITS OF HYDRAULICALLY SETTINGMATERIAL 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 2, 1951 1955 F. c:. RESPESS ET AL2,699,590

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING CONSTRUCTION UNITS 0F HYDRAULICALLY SETTINGMATERIAL Flled Aprll 2, 1951 '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 8, 1955 F. c. RESPESSETAL I MACHINE FOR PRODUCING CONSTRUCTION UNITS 0F HYDRAULICALLY SETTINGMATERIAL Filed April 2, 1951 I 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 m m a m mg m; kw M 5 eaI w 3% 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 C. RESPESS ET AL F. MACHINE FOR PRODUCINGCONSTRUCTION UNITS 015 HYDRAULICALLY SETTING MATERIAL Jan. 18, 1955Filed April 2, 1951 Jam 1955 'F. c. RESPESS ETAL 2,699,590

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING CONSTRUCTION UNITS I 0F HYDRAULICALLY SEITTINGMATERIAL Flled Apnl 2, 1951 7'SheetsSheet 6 Q lNl ENTORS': f frasi C 1?eapess Q4 m/a aflzafizzm/zfam F. RESPESS ETAL 2,699,590 onucmcCONSTRUCTION UNITS F HYDRAULICAL l 2, 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 IJNVENTOLRS/ Farresf 6. )Fwpasa Kw United States Patent G MACHINE FORPRODUCING CONSTRUCTION ITJIIBIITS OF HYDRAULICALLY SETTING MA- ForrestC. Respess, Detroit, Mich., and Stoddard C. Hamilton, Jr., Lawrence,Ind.

Application April 2, 1951, Serial No. 218,717

10 Claims. (CI. 2561) Our invention relates to a machine for forming ormolding various shapes of either light weight or heavy concrete intomasonry construction units or other elements of precast cementitiousmaterial and of predetermined contour and dimensions; the inventionhaving for one of its objects the provision of a continuously operatingmachine for successively and automatically producing the preselectedunits.

The machine involves a removable mold box whose cross-sectionaldimensions and contour are in keeping with the preselected unit orelement to be molded from hydraulically setting material; theexemplification of the invention shown in the drawings being primarilydesigned for casting panels to be used as wall sections, partitions,floor panels and ceiling and roof tiles.

The invention has for its object the provision of an economicallyoperating machine and its advantages and purposes will be readilycomprehended from the following detailed description of the drawings,wherein Figure 1 is an exemplification in perspective of an article orpanel of preselected width, thickness and length tllilat may be producedby our improved adjustable mac me.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of our improved machine.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the machine as viewed from the right,with the hopper omitted.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary and longitudinal sectional view of a portionof a pallet employed in the machine.

Figure 5 is a cross-section of the mold-box and pallet provided withhydraulically setting material at the lefthand end of the machine priorto compression.

Figure 6 is a similar view illustrating the pallet raised and thematerial placed under compression.

Figure 7 is a similar view of the mold-box showing the pallet elevatingmechanism and pallet in raised position with the compressed materialstripped from the mold-box; a portion of an air line control valve forcontrolling the wedge frame being shown in elevation.

Figure 8 is an enlarged view of the left-hand end of the mold-box withparts of the wedge member broken and in section.

Figure 9 is a plan view of the lower wedge frame.

Figure 10 is a plan view of the upper wedge frame.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of what may be called the rear oropposite side of the machine to that illustrated in Figure 2 and showingthe relative positions of the pressing cylinders and the wedgeretracting cylinder, with the mold-box at the initial or loading end ofthe machine with the retracting cylinder and the pressing cylinderslocated at the other end of the machine; the upper wedge frame, theloading hopper and the compression head omitted.

Our improved machine as exemplified in the drawings is primarilydesigned to cast panels of hydraulically setting material, namely,panels to be used in building construction, such as wall sections,partitions, floor panels, ceilings and roof tiles; that is to say, allunits of general rectangular form that come within the maximumdimensions of the mold-box. It is apparent, however, that our improvedmachine may be adapted for the construction of other types of units,such as fence posts, stepping stones and the like coming within thevided with a longitudinally extending frame or base portion at 26 onwhich a superposed base frame 27 is mounted. The frame 26 is providedwith longitudinally arranged guideways or tracks 28, for receiving theguides or slide blocks 29 secured to the lower sides of the frame 27, onwhich a skeleton mold-box 30 is arranged and which consists of two sidesand ends and open at bottom and top.

The mold-box carrying frame 27 is power actuated from end to end of themachine by suitable driving mechanism such as a cable 31, one endwhereof is secured at 32 to the left-hand end of the frame 27 and passesaround pulleys 33 and 34 and driving drum 35, about idlers 36, 36, guidepulley 37 and is then secured to the opposite end of frame 27 is shownin Figure 2. The driving drum 35 is driven by a suitable motor,preferably electric, as at 38, arranged in the base of the machine.

The mold-box 30 is adapted to receive a removable pallet 39 whichconstitutes the bottom of the mold-box; the pallet 39 being insertedinto the skeleton mold-box 30 before the latter is passed beneath thehopper 40 which contains the hydraulically setting material and which isadapted to discharge, either manually or automatically, into themold-box as the latter is arranged in the charging zone, at theright-hand end of the machine as illustrated in Figure 2. The pallet 39is supported on a skeleton frame 41, which is held against transversemovement by angles 42. The pallet-supporting frame 41, on its lowerside, is provided with a plurality of wedge blocks at 43 immovablysecured thereto; the wedges 43 being complemental to the lower matchingwedge members 4311 secured to a frame 44.

The left-hand end of the machine is provided with a crosshead orcompression head at 45 provided with a plate 46 which is intended tocover the top of the moldbox 30 when the pallet 39, with the superposedmaterial, is elevated into compressing position through the action ofsuitable power actuated mechanism and uniform compressing actionthroughout the pallet being induced by operation of the wedge blockcarrying frame.

The upper wedge carrying frame 41 is also provided with a pair ofcross-bars 41a which rest on frame 41 and have vibrating mechanisms asat 411) to cause uniform distribution of the aggregate material andcement in the mold-box and produce a compact mass by eliminating airpockets or voids. The vibrators are activated prior to the compressionoperation. Cross bars 411: also have a suitable number of dependingposts 47, preferably socketed at their lower ends to receive thevertically disposed rams 48 located near one end of the machine; therams 48 being rigidly mounted in the base of the machine and operatedpneumatically, hydraulically or by any suitable valve-controlledoperating medium, which may be automatically or otherwise controlled.

After the mold-box is positioned in the compression zone at the left inFigure 2, the lower wedge carrying frame 44 is forced beneath and intowedging relation with the upper wedge frame members 43, through theaction of the ram or push-rod 49 of cylinder 50 (which is hydraulically,pneumatically or otherwise operated) which engages an extended arm orstrip 59 at the end of the wedge carrying frame 44 (see Figure 5),forcing the frame 41 with the superposed loaded pallet 39 upwardly,thereby subjecting the hydraulically setting material throughout themold-box to the desired pressure (controlled by the overlapping relationof the wedge blocks) against the top plate 46 as shown in Figure 6.

After subjecting the material in the mold-box 30 to the maximum desiredcompression, the mold-box with the loaded pallet is then moved to theright-hand end of the machine, as disclosed in Figure 2 thus causing theupper part of the molded material to be subjected to a troweling effectby the top plate 46; movement or travel of the mold-box being induced byoperation of the pull-cable 31 until the mold-box with pallet isarranged above the stripping mechanism shown in Figure 2. The strippingmechanism comprises a suitable air or hydraulic vertically disposedcylinder 51 which is provided, at the top, with a frame 52 which latter,at its four corners, is provided with rams 48. These rams,

when cylinder 51 is provided with the operating medium, move upwardlyinto engagement with the posts 47 secured to the cross bars 41a of theupper wedge frame 41, see Figure 7, thereby elevating the pallet 39with.

superposed molded material, above the top edge of the mold-box,permitting the pallet and mold to be taken from themachine.

The admission of the operating medium, from a suitable source, to an airoperated cylinder 53' is controlled by means of a valve 54 mounted onthe stripper frame 52, controlled by a pivoted arm 55 (see Figure 7)whose free end isadapted to engage a member 56 of frame 26 when arm 55has been elevated, as shown in Figure 7, thus causing cylinder 53 toretract its piston 57.

Through this operation, the lower wedge frame 44 is shifted out ofwedging position through the action of the cylinder piston 57-Figure 7which is provided with an adaptor 58 shown. provided with a head whichengages with the shouldered strip 59 secured to wedge frame 44. Thiscauses the latter, with its wedge blocks, to be withdrawn from thefull-line position shown to the dotted-line position shown in Figure 7.The maximum retracted position of wedge frame 44 is controlled by astop-block 60 secured to the lower side of frame 44; the stop-block 60being adapted to abut against the adjustable set-bolt 61 as shown indotted lines in Figure 7; while the maximum wedging position of thewedge frame is determined by stop-block 60 engaging the side 62 of theframe member 27 or the strip 59 engaging an adjacent frame angle.

The mold-box is then provided with a new pallet 39 and the box.recharged from hopper 40, after which the loaded mold-box is returned tothe left-hand end of the machine as disclosed in Figure 2-namely, to thecompression zone of the machine where the compression operation, asheretofore described, is repeated until the desired number of forms havebeen molded.

As previously stated, our improved machine may either be mechanically orhydraulically and electrically operated and the positioning of themold-box with inserted pallet maintained in or retarded and the lengthof time of its passage or repassage through the charging zone controlledfor any desired reason, as for example, the insertion of reenforcingmaterial or other inserts intothe mold-box before the latter iscompletely filled so as to have the reenforcing material or insertsimbedded in the cementitious mass before the mold-box is moved into thecompression zone where the rigid wedge frames are brought intocompression exerting position beneath the mass-holding pallet; thecomplementary wedges having similar, but oppositely disposed, slopingends which, at the maximum pressure exerting points, terminate inhorizontal top surfaces for holding the entire pallet in horizontalposition whilebeing horizontally slid from beneath the pressure plateand during its travel back to the original cementitious materialinvolving an elongated main frame provided with a guideway extendinglengthwise of the machine; a mold-box supporting frame slidably mountedon the guideway; power mechanism whereby said supporting frame may beshifted from end to' end of the machine; a wedge carrying skeleton framemounted on said supporting frame; a skeleton mold-box loosely mounted onsaid supporting frame; a pallet, confined to the outline defined by themold-box side and end walls, adapted tofit into and constitute themold-box bottom and supported by said wedge-carrying skeleton frame;hydraulically setting cementitious material-holding hopper mounted aboveone end of said guideway and adapted to discharge into said mold-boxwhen the. latter is atone end of the elongated main frame; a cross-headmounted above the other end of said guideway and provided on its bottomwith a plate adapted to extend. across said: mold-box and the loadedpallet; slidably mounted wedge means complemental to said wedge-carryingskeleton frame whereby the pallet with superposed material is elevatedinto compression relation with said cross-head plate; vertically movablemeans arranged beneath said guideway whereby said pallet with superposedmaterial is raised above the mold-box.

2. in a machine of the character described, a. topless mold-boxwith aloosely mounted bottom adapted to receive the moldable material; a wedgeelement carrying frame for the mold-box bottom; precipitation-inducingvibration mechanism secured to said frame; a slidably mounted frameprovided on its upper face with wedge elements complemen'tal to thefirst mentioned wedge elements; a top plate at one end of the machinespaced above the path of the mold-box; power means for forcing theslidably mounted. frame into wedging position with said wedge elementcarrying frame, thereby compressing the material in the mold-box againstsaid topplate; power actuated means for retracting the slidably mountedwedge.

frame from beneath said wedge element carrying. frame; means forremoving the mold-box from beneath said top plate and power actuatedrams for elevating the moldbox button with superposed molded materialthereby forcing the molded form from the mold box through the topthereof.

3. In a machine of the character described provided with a supportingframe; a topless and bottomless moldbox slidably mounted on said frame;a cementitious massholding pallet loosely arranged in said mold-box;means whereby the position of the mold-box may be controlled; acontrollable hydraulically setting cementitious materialholding membermounted inv a plane above that of the mold-box and adapted to dischargesaid material into the mold-box when the latter is positionedtherebeneath; a plate mounted above the path of the slidable moldbox; apair of shiftable complementary wedge-carrying frames adapted to beshifted into wedging relation beneath said pallet when the latter ispositioned beneath said plate whereby the. pallet with the superposedmass is uniformly elevated into compression relation with.

said plate and its elevated horizontal position maintained while themold-box is slid from beneath said plate.

4. A machine of the character described provided with a supporting framearranged to constitute a loading and stripping zone at one end and acompression zone at the other end; a topless and bottomless mold-boxslidably mounted from end to end on said frame from zone to zone; acementitious mass-holding pallet loosely mounted in said mold-box andupwardly removable therefrom; a controllable hydraulically settingmaterial-holding member arranged in the loading zone at the firstmentioned end of the machine in spaced relation with the top of themold-box; a plate mounted in the compression zone at the other end ofthe machine above the path of the mold-box; controllable power operatedmeans disposed lengthwise of the machine whereby the mold-box is made totravel from zone to zone and its period of time in the zones regulated;a pair of wedge-carrying frames; adapted to be shifted into wedgingrelation beneathsaid pallet while the mold-box is in the compressionzone beneath said plate; whereby the pallet with its superposed mass isuniformly elevated into compressing relation. with said plate, saidwedge carrying frames with their cor related wedges being adapted toforce the pallet with its superposed mass into compression relation withsaid plate and to maintain the pallet and compressed mass in horizontalposition during its return to the stripping zone; and power actuatedmeans in the lower part of. the stripping zone whereby the pallet withthe superposed compressed mass will be stripped upwardly out of themold-box.

5; A machine of the character described involving a supporting frameprovided with a guideway; one end of the machine constitutingthecharging and stripping zone, while the. other end constitutes thecompression zone; a topless and bottomless mold-box adapted to be movedalong said guideway; a cementitious mass-holding pallet removablyarranged in said mold-box; a controllable cementitious material-chargingmember arranged in the charging zone along. the path of saidv mold box;means whereby the mold-box is actuated and the period of time of travelto and from the charging zone controlled; pres shifted into wedgingrelation with the complementary wedge-carrying frame beneath said palletwhereby the latter with superposed material is forced intopressureapplying relation with said pressure means; and means in thecharging and stripping zone whereby the pallet with superposed moldedmaterial is stripped upwardly from the mold-box.

6. In a machine of the character described, an elongated main frameprovided with a fixedly mounted guideway extending lengthwise of themachine; a carrier frame slidably mounted on said guideway; a toplessand bottornless mold-box carried by said carrier frame; a hydraulicallysetting material-holding charger adapted to discharge said material intosaid mold-box when the latter enters its position beneath said charger;power up erated means whereby said carrier frame with superposedmold-box may be shifted from said charging position to the opposite orcompression end of the machine; a re movable pallet resting on saidcarrier frame within the mold-box and adapted to be vertically movablein and constituting the bottom of the mold-box; a cross-head arranged atthe opposite or compression end of the machine above said guideway andhaving a top plate to fit across the mold-box and the loaded pallet; apair of wedge frames extending throughout the bottom of said palletwhereby uniform upward pressure on the pallet is exerted and the latterforced against said top plate; and means whereby the wedge frames areforced into wedging relation.

7. In a machine of the character described compri;-;- ing an elongatedmain frame; a topless and bottomless mold-box; a supporting and wedgeelement carrying frame for the mold-box; a removable pallet resting onsaid wedge-carrying frame and constituting a movable bottom for themold-box; hydraulically setting material-holding receptacle adjacent oneend of the main frame arranged to discharge into the mold-box; meanswhereby said supporting wedge-carrying frame with the charged mold-boxmay be shifted lengthwise toward the opposite end of the main frame; across-head mounted at one end of the main frame and provided with a topplate arranged above the path of the mold-box and adapted to fit ontosaid mold-box across the loaded pallet; 21 slidable wedge frame havingwedge elements complemental to the wedge elements of said firstmentioned supporting frame; power means whereby said slidable wedgeframe is shifted into wedging relation with the first mentioned wedgeframe and the material-carrying pallet raised into compressing relationwith said cross-head plate; power means whereby said last mentionedwedge frame is retracted from wedging position at conclusion of thecompression operation; and power actuated mechanism at the firstmentioned end of the main frame beneath the path of the mold-box wherebythe pallet and superposed compressed material are elevated above thewalls of the mold-box.

8. In a machine of the character described, an elongated main frameprovided with fixedly mounted guideways; a frame slidably mounted onsaid guideways; a wedge element carrying frame movably mounted abovesaid frame; a complementary wedge element frame mounted above the firstmentioned wedge element carrying frame; a topless and bottomlessmold-box carried by said wedge element carrying frames; a removablebottom vertically slidable in said mold-box; a cross-head mounted at oneend of the frame above the path of the mold-box; means whereby saidwedge element carrying frames are brought into wedging relation and saidbottom with the superposed material raised into compressing relationwith said cross-head; and power means at one end of the frame beneaththe path of the mold-box whereby said bottom and molded material areforced upwardly through the top of the mold-box.

9. In a machine of the character described, a movably mounted bottomlessmold-box; hydraulically setting material-holding pallet loosely mountedin the mold-box; a pressure plate spaced above the mold-box; a pair ofwedge carrying frames arranged one above the other beneath said pallet,one of said frames also having depending posts and vibrating mechanism;power controlled ram mechanism for shifting the lower wedge frame intoand out of wedging position for moving said pallet upwardly intomaterial compressing relation with said pressure plate; power operatedlift rams arranged along the path of the mold-box and pallet and adaptedto move upwardly into lifting engagement with said depending posts ofthe wedge frame, whereby the pallet with superposed molded mategial iselevated above the side and end walls of the mold- 10. In a machine ofthe character described, having an elongated frame, a bottomless andtopless mold-box slidable lengthwise of the frame; a material-holdingpallet loosely mounted in the mold-box; a pressure member adjacent oneend of the frame mounted above the path of said mold-box; mechanismarranged beneath the moldbox at said end of the frame involving a pairof complementary wedge-carrying frames whereby said pallet is movedupwardly into pressure applying relation with said pressure member; andmeans disposed at the other end of the machine beneath the path of themold-box whereby the pallet may be elevated above the mold-box and thecompressed material stripped from the mold-box.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,033,092 Erpicum July 23, 1912 1,399,325 Straub Dec. 6, 1921 2,308,132Wellnitz Jan. 12, 1943 2,515,491 Briscoe July 18, 1950

